Approximately four dozen people gathered for an afternoon celebrating community and Americana at "Our Country’s 250th Anniversary: A Music Event" on Sunday, October 4.

Held in Newtown Congregational Church's Great Room, the community concert brought together nearly 30 local musicians to perform songs centered around Americana and folk music.

The crowd sang and clapped along to familiar tunes such as "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton, "Mr Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan, "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash, "Streets of Bakersfield" by Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam, "You'll Be Back" from the 2015 musical Hamilton, and many others. All the while, The Patio Pickers Band accompanied several performers.

Others, such as Steve Landin and Daniel Miskelly, read portions of familiar historic speeches. Landin read Patrick Henry's March 23, 1775 speech to the Second Virginia Convention; the quote "Give me liberty or give me death!" is attributed to Henry. Landin guessed most of the crowd had heard the famous line, but that very few had experienced the speech in its entirety.

He called Henry one of the greatest orators in American history, and said he provided much of the verbal and written electricity that set off the American Revolution.

Attendees were free to enjoy refreshments such as fruit, cheese, crackers, cupcakes, cookies, lemonade, tea, water, and coffee.

The event was largely organized by musician and longtime Newtown Congregational Church member Rich Collins. Due to the rainy weather, the event was held inside the church rather than outdoors as initially planned. Despite the change, Collins and the other organizers took the circumstances in stride. As Collins said, the gathering hall provided better acoustics.

Collins felt the event was a great way for the church and others to celebrate the 250th anniversary of their nation.

"And [celebrating] it musically is really special to us because we're a musical church," Collins told The Newtown Bee. "So I'm hoping everyone has a really good time."

Newtown Congregational Church Pastor Matt Crebbin echoed this sentiment when welcoming everyone to the Sunday afternoon event. According to Crebbin, Collins thought what better way to celebrate as a congregation than with something they all enjoy: music.

Crebbin then asked the crowd a question: what is American music? To Crebbin, the most satisfying answer he found is that American music is not one particular set of sounds so much as it is a kind of natural comfort with diverse and regional vernacular.

"Virgil Thompson said ... the way to write American music is simple: all you have to do is be an American, and then you write any kind of music you wish," Crebbin told the crowd. "That's reflected in the music performed today. All kinds of different music, different ways we think about ourselves. It's songs about love, songs that capture our imaginations in ways great and small from across generations."

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.